IP TAKE: Oak does not award grants for less than $25,000 except under special circumstances or for organizations located in Zimbabwe.

PROFILE: Duty-Free billionaire Alan Parker established the Oak Foundation in 1983 “to address issues of global, social, and environmental concern, particularly those that have a major impact on the lives of the disadvantaged.” Oak currently operates ten grantmaking programs, which include child abuse, environment, housing and homelessness, international human rights, issues affecting women, learning differences, special interest, and the joint India, Denmark, and Zimbabwe programs.

The foundation conducts its LGBTI grantmaking through Oak’s larger international human rights program. Oak’s LGBTI grantmaking seeks to “challenge the criminalization of specific populations, namely LGBTI individuals and irregular migrants.” The foundation awards related grants to organizations working around the world and is “engaged directly” with those in the European Union, United States, Russia, India, and Burma.

Oak Foundation grants range from $50,000 to $650,000. To get a broader sense of the types of organizations this funder supports, explore its excellent grant database.

The foundation accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry throughout the year. Those organizations in which Oak is interested in funding will receive an invitation to submit a “concept note” to the foundation.